Cuiaba is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. It is located in the exact centre of South America and forms the metropolitan area of the state, along with the neighbouring town of V arzea Grande.
The name is of obscure South American Indian origin, reportedly meaning "arrow-fishing", and alludes to the Bororo custom of using arrows to fish. Another version says that there was an Indian tribe called Ykuiap a. Others say that, while a Portuguese man was once taking a bath in the river using a kind of plate made with half a coconut (named cuia), the stream carried it away, prompting the man to exclaim "Cuia ba" (something like "the cuia is gone"). Cuiab a is the largest centre for tourism, business, agribusiness, trade, and culture in Mato Grosso.
The new Marechal Rondon International Airport connects Cuiaba with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights
